SUMMIT TWP., MI – By the end of this week, Jackson County's newest school could be adding more staff to its ranks.

The Jackson Preparatory & Early College charter school is prepared to offer jobs to five full-time teachers through Employees Only Inc., the professional employer organization it's using for human resources.

The school's lease with Jackson College for office and classroom space in the east end of Justin Whiting Hall also is close to being finalized, Masters said. The board granted Masters the authority to sign the document when it's completed.

Jackson Prep will pay JC $150,000 annually for the space in a one-year contract that can be renewed annually, if agreed on by both parties, Masters said.

The lease includes payback to the college for revisions it has paid for to create state-required pick-up and drop-off lanes for K-12 students in the parking lot, as well as for custodial services, equipment and furnishings, Masters said.

The charter school will use six classrooms that can be adjusted to fit eight classrooms, as well as office space, a reception area and conference room.

To date, Jackson Prep has received 110 completed enrollment forms from the nearly 270 application packets sent out, Masters said.

On June 30, the board adopted a $2.1 million budget based on an enrollment of 250 students. Nearly $1.9 million in revenue is based on projected state per-student funding.

"We expect that a budget amendment will come early in the fall once our enrollment is finalized," Masters said.

On the expenditure side, nearly $865,000 is allocated for basic instruction, $336,000 for instructional staff, about $349,000 for general administration and $106,000 for technology.